Turin Brakes is an English band comprising original duo of Olly Knights and… Read Full Bio ↴Turin Brakes is an English band comprising original duo of Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, and long-term collaborators Rob Allum and Eddie Myer. Hailing from Balham, London, they had a UK top 5 hit in 2003 with their song "Painkiller (Summer Rain)" on Cooking Vinyl.

Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.

Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.

In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.

The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.

Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".

The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".

Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.

On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.

blue hour
Turin Brakes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh let the sun be done,
Let the air wash the city clean.
Oh let the blue hour come,
For everyone,
For everyone the sun.

Pace of this place s;pw down,
Suits throw your phones to the ground.

With blue in your lungs begun,
For everyone,
For everyone the sun.
We all need some.

Time to go fishing,
Reels screaming.
For all wear souls,
The endless song.
For everyone,

For everyone this song
We all need one

Overall Meaning

The song Blue Hour by Turin Brakes is a deep and thoughtful piece that explores the idea of letting go of material possessions and the fast-paced life we lead in the city. The lyrics call for a change in pace and a slowing down of life, represented by the slowing down of the pace of the city itself. The lyrics begin by asking for the sun to set and the air to wash the city clean, almost as if to cleanse away the fast-paced life that the people lead. This signifies the need for a change and a fresh start, and the idea of the blue hour coming for everyone brings with it a sense of hope.

The pace of the city can be overwhelming, and the lyrics urge everyone to slow down and take a break. The song calls for people to throw their phones to the ground and take in the blue hour, filled with fresh air and a sense of calm. The lyrics refer to the blue hour as being the time when everyone can take a deep breath and let go of their worries for a while. The idea of going fishing and listening to the endless song represents the need to connect with nature and to find peace and solace in it.

Overall, the song is a beautiful and thoughtful piece that calls for people to take a step back from their busy lives and find peace in the simplicity of things. It tells us that we all need to slow down and take a break from the fast-paced world we live in, and that in doing so, we may find a renewed sense of purpose and hope.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh let the sun be done,
Let the day come to a close

Let the air wash the city clean.
Allow a refreshing breeze to cleanse the city

Oh let the blue hour come,
Welcome the peaceful dusk

For everyone,
This moment is for everyone to enjoy

For everyone the sun.
The setting sun belongs to everyone

Pace of this place slow down,
The frantic pace of this city needs to become slower

Suits throw your phones to the ground.
Businessmen and women must disconnect from technology

With blue in your lungs begun,
Begin to breathe in the calming blue evening sky

For everyone,
Again, this moment is for everyone

For everyone the sun.
Everyone gets to witness the beauty of the sunset

Time to go fishing,
It's time to relax and enjoy quiet leisure activities